What Is and What Could Be
by Zesiro Cross
Summary: The battle is over, and lives are returning to a semblance of normality. With a few exceptions, of course. After all, with the Yami's having their own bodies, can things really be classified as normal? Despite being surrounded by friends, Atem feels like there's something missing. And it's not just him. Yaoi.
1. Prolouge

Alright, this is a new story, my first.

Warnings/Notices- Possibly AU, mostly cannon compliant [but not fully], and updates will be…weekly I guess, there will be Yaoi and violence and swearing and mature themes and semi-Abridged personalities and Marik and insulting/racist/sexist/perverted/dirty comments. So, if you're not mature enough to handle it or if any piece of this warning made you blush or giggle for over 12 seconds, I suggest you turn back. And angst. Good god there will be angst. And tragedy. This is Yu-Gi-Oh, what did you expect?

Disclaimer- I, quite unfortunately, do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, 4Kids TV would never have been able to make it appropriate for children. Ever.

Now, onwards~!

He looked up, staring out at nothing the blank wall of their room.

It was three months after the Ceremonial Duel against Yugi.

He had stayed behind.

He couldn't leave his friends, as much as he wanted to cross over. His heart wouldn't let him.

So he had his own body now, a sort of 'you did well' gift from the Gods.

He should have been happy.

Don't misunderstand, he loved Yugi and all of their friends dearly, but he couldn't help feeling that something was wrong. That something was…missing.

He shook his head lightly to clear it, looking down at the sleeping boy beside him. He smiled fondly, brushing a few strands of Yugi's blonde bangs away from his face.

The boy stirred at the touch, blinking drowsily up at him. "Atem? Is something wrong?"

He chuckled lightly. Yugi could always tell…

"No, nothing's wrong. I'm sorry I woke you." He said softly. Yugi yawned a bit. "It's fine. You should try to get some sleep, Atem. We have Ryou's party tomorrow, remember?"

Atem nodded, smiling gently. "I know. Go back to sleep, aibou."

"Mmkay…" He murmured, curling up into the taller male's side and closing his eyes.

Atem sighed, following in suit.

He did manage to fall asleep eventually, his dreams haunted by glittering lavender eyes…


	2. Chapter One, Daffodil

Chapter 1

Daffodil

"-tem. Atem. Atem! Oh for the love of…ATEM!" _Wham!_

The former pharaoh shot up with an undignified shriek. Yugi smiled at him, giggling behind his hand. He was dressed in blue pajamas with yellow stars on them, a sight that made Atem smile a bit, till he saw that he was holding a pillow in his hand. The same one he had used to smack Atem over the face with.

Said king glared. "Aibou!" he whined, yawning a bit and dragging a hand through his messy hair, only succeeding in making it stick up more. Although with his hairstyle you really couldn't tell.

"What? You wouldn't wake up." Yugi said innocently, hiding the pillow behind his back.

"And pray tell why you're waking me up at such an unholy hour of the morning?"

"It's noon."

"Like I said, unholy hours of the morning."

Yugi rolled his eyes. "Ryou's party, remember?"

"What about it?"

"We're staying the night. You haven't packed."

"Since when were we staying the night?"

Yugi ignored him. "And Malik and Marik are coming as well."

"Wait, what?!" He didn't want to have to deal with those two horrors any more then he had to. Well, Malik was alright but his Yami was certifiably insane.

"It'll be lots of fun." Yugi smiled brightly.

Atem shook his head, unable to argue with his aibou when he got that look on his face. "So what time are we leaving?"

"Ryou said to be there before dark. Now c'mon, I made breakfast."

Atem blinked, surprised. "Why?" Yugi didn't cook. No scratch that, Yugi _couldn't_ cook.

Yugi shrugged, still smiling goofily. "Dunno. Felt like it, I guess."

Atem was instantly wary. Whenever Yugi was his cheerful, someone was bound to end up hiding in a closet somewhere. "What got you in such a good mood?" He questioned as they entered the kitchen. The sun came in through the window, casting the small room with a golden glow.

There was a bouquet of gardenia's sitting in a vase at the center of the table. So that explained the good mood. "I didn't know you were in a relationship."

Yugi blushed red, stuttering, but he didn't deny it.

"C'mon, tell me." Atem urged, curious. He hadn't seen Yugi bring anyone unusual over, and he didn't go out much either, so was it one of their friends?

Yugi shook his head. "Nope, I can't say."

"What? Why not?"

"Because. It's a secret. You'll find out soon though." And with that Yugi turned around, still blushing slightly, and started to load whatever it was he had made onto plates. Yami grimaced at the strange grey substance that he assumed was supposed to be porridge. Or eggs. He really needed to start doing this himself.

"Aibou! Where's my eyeliner?"

"Bathroom!"

"That's mascara!" Yugi stuck his head into the bathroom, probably a better tactic than shouting across the house.

"Why do you own mascara?"

"It's not mine!" he said defensively.

"Then why is it here?"

"I-uh-…never mind that. Where's my eyeliner?"

"I don't know. Did you check the cabinet above the sink?"

"Err…" Atem looked, seeing the familiar black tube. "Thanks."

Yugi nodded, returning to picking out clothes to pack.

Atem held up a pair of leather pants, scrutinizing it, then putting it back before choosing an almost identical pair and packing them.

"We're going to Ryou's house, not to Paris. You really don't need to put that much thought into it."

"Yes I do. It's important to look good no matter where you're going."

"Of course your Highness." Yugi deadpanned.

Atem sniffed and turned around, ignoring Yugi's giggles.

"So anyway, is there any reason for this 'party' or where you two just bored?"

"There's a reason." Yugi replied evasively, picking up a book from his side table.

"What's that?" Atem asked, knowing he wouldn't be getting any answers about the other topic.

"This? Atem, you've been here for years and you still don't know what a book is?"

He glared. "Of course I know what it is, I was asking which one it was."

Yugi grinned teasingly. "Sure." He snickered. "It's called Magic's Pawn. It's about a boy named Vanyel who is sent away from his home because his father can't deal with him because he's different. So he goes to the capitol of the kingdom to live with his aunt, who trains mages and is one herself. Vanyel's pretty upset about the whole thing, actually about his whole life in general. He was ostracized as a child for being strange and his family and him don't get along and his father wants him to be a warrior, not waste his time with music and he's always getting beaten up. So when he goes to live with his aunt he's a little black hole of despair until he meets Tylendel, one of his aunt's top trainees. He figures out he's gay and after a whole bunch of emotional stuff they get together, but they have to pretend they can't stand each other so Vanyel's father doesn't find out about them. They're happy for a few months until Tylendel's twin brother is murdered, which through their mind link sends Tylendel into insanity. He wants revenge and Vanyel helps him get it, but something goes wrong. Vanyel is helping Tylendel by lending him energy so that he doesn't kill himself using up all his power, but when the Heralds, those are the mages, come and stop them Tylendel looses it and let's out too much magic and almost decimates the area. The blast knocks Vanyel out and leaves Tylendel exhausted, and the Heralds manage to subdue them and take them back via portal. When they get there, it's storming and people are running around trying to get the two inside and close the portal and in the mess Tylendel, who's still crazy, slips away and Vanyel wakes up just in time to see him throw himself off the clock tower and fall to his death. Vanyel runs into the forest, completely terrified and still shaken from the magical backlash, and almost drowns in a river when he's saved by Yfandes, a Companion, [basically a white horse with the mind of a person that work alongside the Heralds] who chooses him and he figures out that the magical backlash that did so much damage actually ripped open his own magical abilities, making him a Herald. After that, about a week later maybe, they're going to have Tylendel's funeral. Vanyel goes to the church [temple?] to see him and, blaming himself for Tylendel's death, tries to kill himself, but he's saved. That's the part I left off at."

Atem watched him with wide eyes as he finished his rant. "Umm…"

"It's really good and you should read it and _crap_! We're late!"

He grabbed his bag and motioned for Atem to hurry up before running to the car. Atem laughed, following behind him, trying to ignore the small stirring the story had brought up in the back of his mind.

Well, that was chapter one. Kinda short I know but they'll get longer.

Yes Magic's Pawn is a real novel by Mercedes Lackey [It's really good, read it] and you'd do well to remember the bit written in here. No this is not a crossover but you might see some similarities come latter chapters. Only vaguely though.


End file.
